Ahead of its New Zealand launch early next year, the Opel Insignia - which will be the next-generation Commodore - has been shortlist by global automotive press for the 2018 World Car of the Year awards.
Developed hand-in-hand with the next-generation Commodore, the Opel Insignia has received rave reviews in Europe since its introduction earlier in 2017. Drivers have cooed over its styling, praised its high-tech features including wireless charging and a 360-degree camera, and enjoyed its effortless performance. And now, it’s all been recognized on the biggest of stages.
“The World Car of the Year awards is judged by automotive journalists from Asia, Europe, and North America. That Insignia has been shortlisted is a testament to the hard work the team in Europe and Australia have put into the vehicle,” said Holden Australia's executive director, Michael Filazzola.
“We’ve shown a handful of local automotive journalists and customers the next-gen Commodore already and the reaction echoes the sentiments of the World Car Awards judges – it’s a cracker!”
Australian development on Commodore is ongoing with work focused on the V6 AWD VXR and V6 AWD Tourer models. Holden say their engineers have accumulated over 100,000km, both at the company’s Lang Lang proving ground and throughout Victoria, testing everything from local suspension and steering tunes to radio and satellite navigation reception.
“The World Car of the Year shortlisting shows the next-gen Commodore is based on an already exceptional vehicle,” said Holden’s Vehicle Performance Manager, Jeremy Tassone.
“We’ve been working on the car for a while now to make it even better for Australian roads and by the time it lands in the hands of our customers, we’re confident it will demonstrate all of the great driving and technology characteristics Commodore has built its name on.”
The 2018 World Car of the Year is due to be announced at the New York International Auto Show in March 2018.
The all-new Holden Commodore is expected to arrive in New Zealand dealerships from April 2018.